Package for disposable paper tissues



llnited States Patent 3,038,473 PACKAGE FUR DESFGSABLE PAPER TISSUESJohn M. Ladd, 47 Ocean fit, Lynn, Mass. Filed Apr. 6, 1959, Ser. No.894,545 6 Claims. (Cl. 128-268) The present invention relates to apackage for disposable paper tissues and is a continuation in part ofapplication Serial No. 715,557, filed February 17, 1958, now abandoned.

The common absorbent paper tissue is popularly dispensed in smallpackets in quantities of approximately twenty-five. These tissues arepopularly used for many purposes including a use as disposablehandkerchiefs. When used in such a manner, it is desirable to provide anaromatic medicament integral with the tissues so that when used, theuser will have the benefit of such medication. Merely impregnatingtissues with such a medication is impractical when considering thestorage life ordinarily required for packages of such a nature. In sucha treatment the medication would probably be spent within a short time.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means bywhich disposable absorbent tissues may be packaged together with anaromatic medication, arranged to effectively impregnate the tissues whenused with the medication being effectively retained intact within thepackage until such use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a package of thetype described in which selected and small quantities of the medicationare permissibly diffused through the interior of the package prior touse or opening of the package so that immediately upon opening thetissues will have a controlled amount of medication infused within themwhile at the same time a substantial reservoir of medication iseffectively maintained within the package which reservoir is notreleased until actual use of the package commences.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedmeans for maintaining aromatic medication Within a nonporous package andan improved means of selectively releasing the medication at a desiredtime.

These and other objects of the present invention will be more clearlyunderstood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 shows a top plan view of a package of the present invention shownin partial cut-away;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a modification of the invention shown inpartial break-away;

FIG. 3 is a detail of FIG. 2 taken along the line 3-3;

FIG. 4 is a top plan View of a modification of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross section of a modification shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross section of another modification taken along a linesubstantially similar to the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is at top plan view of a still further modification, and,

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 7.

In the arrangement of FIG. 1 there is provided a rectangular cardboardbase 1 which is relatively stiff in nature and which supports aplurality of folded highly absorbent paper tissues 2, which may beprovided in any desired quantity. About this cardboard and group ofabsorbent tissues is a sealed wrapper 3 of cellophane or other nonporouswrapping material. The wrapper 3 may be formed of a single sheet ofcellophane conventionally folded and sealed at its edges. Preferably,however, this wrapper 3 should be sealed along a longitudinal centeroverlapping strip (not shown) with the ends of the wrapper 3 at edges 4and 5 formed as flaps, extending over the sides to the bottom.

An inner envelope 6 comprises two facings substantially nonabsorbent,nonporous sheets, as for example cellophane, sealed at their edges alonga marginal periphery indicated at 8. Within the periphery 8 there isprovided a space 9 which contains an absorbent plug 1'0 preferably ofcotton or the like. This plug 10 may comprise a roll or tube ofabsorbent material which is highly impregnated with a highly volatilemedication. The remainder of the space 9 is filled with a liquid of thesame volatile Inedication with which the plug 10 is impregnated. Asuitable liquid formula of a volatile or aromatic medication compriseseucalyptus oils, iodine, menthol crystals dissolved, peppermint oils andspirits of ammonia.

A string 11, which may be a waxed nylon string, is secured at one end 12to the cotton plug 19 by tying it thereto or by other suitable means.The string extends through the peripheral margin 8 and preferably issecured along the edge of cardboard 1 with its free end 13 extendingoutwardly of the package. This end 13 may extend outwardly between theoverlapping folds previously mentioned of the wrapper 3. Preferably thesealed peripheral margin 8 immediately adjacent the string 11 has a verysmall opening in nature perhaps of several hundredths of an inch indiameter, permitting circulation of volatile fumes through this passageto the interior of the wrapper 3 and into contact with the tissues 2.

The plug 10 is also preferably secured in position together with theinner envelope 6 by suitable means as for example a staple 14 whichprojects through the inner envelope 6, and plug 10, and is secured atthe other side to the cardboard 1.

If desired, the envelope 6 may be formed of a resinous material heatsealable at its peripheral edges.

In the foregoing arrangement, the volatile or aromatic medication issubstantially and entirely retained within the envelope 6 until thestring 11 is pulled to open by cut ting the outer wrapper 3. When thisstring 11 is pulled its full length, it will not only open the outerwrapper 3 but will also cause a smaller opening in the inner envelope 6.At this time the aromatic medication which has been only slightlydiffused and dissipated through the outer wrapper 3 is released forimmediate impregnation of the tissues. It has been found that with aformula of the type set forth above and with the use of impregnatedcotton plugs, even when the package is opened, the tissues will allremain impregnated with an aromatic medication for substantial periodsof time.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is illustrated a package having acardboard supporting base 30 on which is arranged any desired reasonablenumber of tissues 31 with a wrapper 32 enclosing the tissues andcardboard in the same manner as set forth in connection with FIG. 1. Anenvelope 34 formed of opposite sheets of nonabsorbent, nonporousmaterial, such as cellophane or a heat scalable plastic, are sealedtogether along a peripheral margin 35 to form an enclosing andsubstantially sealed inner pocket 36. Within this inner pocket 36 thereis positioned a highly adsorbent plug 37 of the same type illustrated at10 in FIG. 1. The pocket 36 and the plug 37 are impregnated with anaromatic medication of the type previously described. This envelope issecured at the center of the cardboard 30 by suitable means, such as bycementing the lower face of the envelope to the cardboard. A continuousstring 38 of the same material, for example, as string 11 extends alongthe upper edge 39 of the cardboard 39 with at least one end 40 of thestring 38 projecting outwardly of the cardboard and through the wrapper32. A center section of the string extends inwardly and through theperipheral margin 35 of the envelope 34. This string 38 is preferablyreleasably secured to the cardboard 30. Thus, when the user desires toopen the package by pulling the end all of the string 38, the outerwrapper 32 is cut and simultaneously the inner envelope 34 is alsoopened, thus releasing the arcmatic vapors of the medication to theinterior of the wrapper 32, permeating the tissues 31. In thisparticular arrangement, the central location of the envelope 3-& assuresa substantial even distribution of the vapors throughout the entirepackage.

A further modification of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Inthis arrangement, a cellophane casing 50 encloses a packet of tissues 51with the tissues supported upon a cardboard backer 52 with theseelements generally of the type shown in FIG. 1. Supported on thecardboard backer, however, is a capsule 53 containing a quantity ofvolatile medicament or other volatile or aromatic material such as forexample, perfume, as illustrated at 54. This capsule 53 is preferablyformed of a non permeable, plastic flexible material such as cellophane.This cellophane casing may be formed of two facing sheets of cellophanematerial sealed at their edges 55 and suitably cemented to the cardboardbacker 52. This capsule forms a pressure bubble which will burst upondirect application of pressure, releasing the volatile material throughthe interior of the cellophane casing 50. In the use of this package,the user squeezes the packet so as to cause the capsule 53 to burstreleasing the medicament. The casing 50 is then opened and the tissuesre moved, preferably a few minutes after the breaking of the capsule 53.

In FIG. 6 there is shown a still further modification of this invention.Here a cellophane casing 60 encloses and suitably retains a group oftissues 61 supported on the cardboard backer 62 with these elements ofthe same general type as the previously mentioned elements in connectionwith FIG. 1. The surface of the cardboard 62 is coated with anonpermeable layer or web of material such as cellophane and illustratedat 63. Suitably adhered to this web 63 and preferably extending thelength and width of the cardboard 62 is a fibrous, bilbous surface ofsuitable absorbent material such as unsized highly absorbent paper,cotton fibers, etc. This fibrous, bilbulous surface is suitably coatedwith a volatile impregnant or aromatic material of the type previouslydescribed. Above the fibrous, bibulous material 64 there is a layer 65of nonpermeable material preferably cellophane which is also preferablysealed at its side edges as illustrated at 66 to the lower layer 63thereby forming an enclosed casing for the fibrous material. A tab 67which may be formed of a thread or a tape of defined width is integrallybonded to the upper layer 65 with the tab extending the length of thecardboard and preferably projecting therefrom through the casing 60.Thus, one may open the package by tearing the tab 67 so as tosimultaneously open the casing 60 and the inner container formed by thesheets or webs 65 and 63.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 there is shown a still further modification. In thisarrangement, a casing 70 of cellophane or the like encloses a pluralityof tissues 71 in turn supported on the cardboard backer 72 in a manneras previously described. Extending longitudinally of the backer 72 is anelongated rigid frangible tube 73. This frangible tube may have arectangular cross section as illustrated or may, if desired, haveanother configuration. The rigid frangible tube is formed with sealedends to form thereby a complet ly enclosed chamber within which thevolatile material as previously described may be contained and stored.The tube itself may be formed of a rigid plastic material such asstyrene and should have but a slight degree of flexibility before itsbreaking point is reached. The tube is cemented preferably to the backercentrally thereof as is illustrated in FIG. 7. In the operation of thisparticular embodiment, the user will flex the packet, the backer 72being sufiiciently thin and flexible to permit this. This flexing,however, will cause a rigid frangible tube to break, thus releasing itscontent to the interior of the packet. After the volatile material isallowed to disperse throughout the packet, the casing may be opened forindividual use of the tissues.

What is claimed is:

1. A package comprising a quantity of folded highly absorbent tissues, awrapper of nonabsorbent, nonporous material completely enclosing andsubstantially sealed about said tissues, a sealed envelope ofnonabsorbent, nonporous material within said wrapper, a highly absorbentplug impregnated with a volatile medicament and a quantity of liquidhighly volatile medicament within said envelope and a string projectingthrough said wrapper and envelope and adapted on pulling to causeopenings in both said wrapper and envelope.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 having means forming an opening ofapproximately two hundredths of an inch in diameter through saidenvelope.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 having a reinforcing cardboardbacker adjacent said tissues with said envelope secured to said backer.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said plug has secured to itone end of said string.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 having a rectangular reinforcingcardboard backer adjacent said tissues with said envelope securedcentrally on the face of said backer intermediate the hacker andtissues.

6. A package comprising a quantity of folded highly absorbent tissues, awrapper of nonabsorbent, nonporous material completely enclosing andsubstantially sealed about said tissues, a sealed envelope ofnonabsorbent, nonporous material within said Wrapper, a highly absorbentplug impregnated with a volatile medicament and a quantity of liquidhighly volatile medicament within said envelope, a cardboard reinforcingbacker adjacent said tissues with said envelope secured centrally on theface of said backer intermediate the backer and tissues and a stringremovably secured to said backer having at least one end projectingthrough said wrapper and an intermediate portion extending inwardly in aloop through spaced portions of said envelope which on pulling said endis adapted to cause openings in both said wrapper and envelope.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,686,458 McColl Oct. 2, 1928 2,209,914 Gerber et al July 30, 19402,714,382 Alcala Aug. 2, 1955 2,779,465 Anderson Jan. 29, 1957

